Car-seat



' (No Model.)

H. S; HALE..

GAR SEAT.

No. 425,505. Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

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UNITED STATES ATENT rrrcn.

HENRY S. HALE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,505, dated April l5, 1890.

Application iiled May 6, 1889, Serial No. 309.705. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY S. HALE, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Car-Seats, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to railway-car seats; and it consists of certain improvements, which are fully set forth in the following` specification, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof. It is the object of my invention to provide certain improved means for reversing the seat-hack in swinging it from one side to the other of the car-seat, and also for adjusting the seat-back at a greater or less inclination to suit the convenience of the passenger.

In carrying out my invention I employ hinge-arms, pivoted at one end to the main frame of the car-seat and at the other end to the seat-back. The hinge-arms and the seatback are locked together in their extreme positions by means of a ball or roller loosely supported within curved or irregular grooves,

formed partly in the hinge-arms and partly in the seatback plates at its ends, so that when the seat-back is in its extreme positions the balls or rollers in the groove extend into both parts and loclr them together by preventing one turning upon the other; but when the s eatback and hinge-arm are shifted, so that the grooves are inclined, the balls or rollers roll therein and unlock the parts, allowing the seat-bach to be reversed upon the hingearins. As the hinge-arms are moved farther, the balls or rollers roll on into that part of the groove formed in both the hingearm and seat-back and again lock them together.

For adjusting the inclination of the seatbacl: I extend the hinge-ar1ns below the point at which they are pivoted to the main frame and provide their ends, or a bar connecting their ends, with a casting provided with notches or steps, which are adapted to be engaged by a bolt operated by a suitable handle, so that the passenger may operate this bolt to engage any one of the notches or steps, and thus allow the hinge-arms to be locked in different positions, and thus place the seatback at a greater or less inclination.

In the drawings,Figure l is a sectional side elevation of a car-seat embodying my invention taken on the line Y Y, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of same on the line X X of Fig. l.. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the adjusting locking bolt or rod detached from the seat. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the end of the hinge-arm and the notched casting secured thereto. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the detached hinge-arm, showing a modification in the arrangements of the notched castings. Fig. 6 is a detail view, showing the connection of the'hinge-arm and seatback on an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 is an inclined sectional view of the same on the line Z Z of Fig. 6. Fig. S is aperspective view of the inverted notched adjusting-casting- Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the locking-plate on the end of the seat-back, and Fig. lO is aperspective view of a modification of the ball or roller for locking the hinge-arm and seat-back together.

A is the main frame of the car-seat.

B are the hingearms pivoted to the main frame.

C is the reversible seat-back.

D are plates secured upon the sides of the seat-back, upon which the upper ends of the hinge-arms B are pivoted.

Curved grooves d are formed in the hingearms B transversely across them, (see Figs. 5, G, and 7,) so that when the hinge-arms are moved to an upright position the grooves will be in a horizontal plane. The grooves are curved so that the ends act as cams to force loose balls into -grooves d in the plates D of the seat-back, so that the balls extend partly Within the plates D and partly within the hingearms B. (See Fig. 7.) The middle portion of the grooves are wholly within the hingearms B, as heretofore described, and clearly illustrated in Fig. '7. R are the small metallic balls or rollers Within these grooves. It is quite apparent that the grooves CZ dmight be reversed, so that the middle portion of the grooves d Will be Wholly within the plates D, and grooves within hinge-arms B, without changing the function of the grooves and balls R. It will be seen by examining Fig. 9 that the grooves d in the plates D of the seat-back are arranged at an angle which is IOO necessary to bring one of the grooves cl in line with one end of the groove d of the hingearm in each of the reversed positions of the seat-back.

E are slidingvframes carrying the cushion F and connected with the hinge-arms B at e, so that the position and inclination of the vcushion may be changed when the seat-back is reversed. l

1o G is a rod connecting the hinge-arms under the seat to give greater firmness and to cause the hinge-arms to act in unison.

H are castings secured to the ends of the hinge-arms B, and are provided upon t-heir t5 under surfaces with notches or steps I J K at different inclinations and located one back of the other and on both sides, but on opposite ends of the castings. The castings are made of the shape shown, so that one pattern zo may be used for right and left castings, and further to enable the steps to correspond and the shifting of the bolts L by rods P, arranged at the right side of the occupant of the seat. This detail is, however, immaterial when conz 5 sidering my invention broadly.

L are locking bolts or bars provided with notched ends l, and movably secured. to the main frame A beneath the cushion-frame E by means of pins orl screwsm, extending.

' 4o with or in line with the levers O, so that a depression of the rods will move the bolts L through the operation of the levers O. These rods are arranged on each end of the car-seat and at opposite ends to operate the corresponding rods or bolts L. The steps ornotches on the castings rest against the edges formed `by the notches Z on the bolts L and support the hinge-arms and seat-back.

From the foregoing description of the parts 5o the operation of the car-seat will be readily understood. Suppose the car-seat back to be in the position shown in Fig. l. To reverse it, the seat-back and the hinge-arms are moved forward, being locked together by the balls R in the groove d CZ, as heretofore described, and upon moving past a central position they are unlocked by the balls rolling into that portion of the grooves CZ in the hingearms, when the seat-back maybe turned over 6o on the pivots or reversed. As the parts are moved toward the other side, the seat-back will be relocked by the ball or roller R rolling into the other end of the grooves d and other grooves d. The seat-back has now been 5 5 reversed, and the castings H upon the ends of the hinge-arms rest against and are supported by the bolts L. Normally the first steps I of the castings' H rest against the bolts L. To adjust the'seat-back to a greater inclination, the rod P is depressed, which, pressing uponA 7o the lever O, moves the bolt, withdrawing it from the first steps and engaging with thesecond step J, which, being further back and at a greater angle, will allow the hinge-arms -to move over a 0rreater distance and correspondingly change the inclination of the seatback.A A further depression of the rod Pwill move the bolt to the next steps K, correspondingly permitting of the further movement to the seat-back. Upon reversing the seat-back kSo to the other side the steps of the levers rest against the other bolt L, .which may be correspondingly operated by its rod P.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modification, in which' the notched castings H are carried by the cross-bar G, instead of by the hinge-arms B.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway-car seat, the combination of a main frame, a reversible seat-back, hinge- 9o arms pivoted at one end to the seat-back and at the other end to the main frame, grooves formed in both said seat-back and hinge-arms, and a gravity-actuated ball or roller guided in said grooves to lock said hinge-arm and seat-back together in their extreme positions and to automatically unlock them and permit the seat-back to be reversed when being shifted from one side of the car-seat to the other.

2. In a railway-car seat, the combination of a main frame, a reversible seat-back, hingearms pivoted at oneend to the seat-back andat the other end to the main frame at its ends and wholly Within one of said parts at its middle, grooves formed in both said seat-back and hinge-arms, and a gravity-actuated ball or roller guided in said groove to lock said hinge-arm and seat-back together in their extreme positions and to automatically unlock them and permit the seat-back to be reversed when being shifted from .one side of the carseat to the other.

3. The combination of the main frame, the reversible seat-back, hinge-arms pivoted to the seat-back and also to the main frame, a single groove CZ, transversely to the length of each of the hinge-arms,pivotplates D on the ends of the seat-back having the grooves cZ, arranged at an angle to each other, and a rzo gravity-actuated piece moving in said grooves during the shifting of the seat-back to lock and unlock the seat-back with reference to the hinge-arms.

4. In a car-seat, the combination of the 125 main frame, a reversible seatback, hingearms pivoted to both the seat-back and main frame and having free ends extending below the pivot-points with the main frame, two movable supports for said free ends of the hinge-arms upon opposite sides of the said frame, and extensions extending to or above IOC) IIO

,the seat to move said supports and adjust the inclination of the hinge-arms and seat-back.

5. The combination ot the main frame, a reversible seat-back, hinge-arms pivoted to both the main frame and seatbaek and extending beloT the sea-t, stepped parts carried by the lower parts of thel hinge-arms, and adjustable bolts under the seat-frame adapted to engage with said stepped parts to support the hin ge-arms and the seat-back in different adjustments.

6. The combination of the main frame, a reversible seat-back, hinge-arms pivoted to both the main fra-me and seat-back and extending beloW the seat, stepped parts carried by the lower parts of the hinge-arms, and adjustable bolts under the seat-frame adapted to engage With said stepped parts to support the hinge-arms and the seat-back in different adj ustmenis, and a hand-operating rod or extension part operating upon said bolt extending` within reach of the occupant of the chair to shift said bolt.

7 The combination of a main frame and seat, a movable seat-back, hinge-arms connected to the seat-back and pivoted to the main trame with free ends extending below the plane of the seat, adjusting stepped devices, substantially as set out, carried by said free ends of the hinge-arms, and locking mechanism extending to Within reach of the occupant of the seat to lock said stepped devices in various positions of adjustment.

8. In a railway-oar seat, the combination of a main frame, a seat-back, hin ge-arms pivoted to said seat-back and main frame and having their lower ends extending beyond said pivotpointsof the mainframe, and a support for said ends movable with reference to the carseat frame to adjust the inclination of the hinge-arms and seat-back.

9. In a railway-car seat, the combination of a mainframe, a seat-baclc, hinge-arms pivoted to said main frame and seat-back and having` their lower ends extending below said pivotpoint of'the main frame, stepped supporting; pieces carried by the ends of said hinge-arms, and a lock under the seat-frame for said stepped supporting-pieces adapt-ed to engage them to support the hinge-arms and movable so as to adjust the inclination of the hingearms and seatbacl; by engaging successive steps of said supporting-pieces.

l0. In a railway-car seat, the combination of a main frame, a seat-back, hinge-arms pivoted to said main frame and seat-back and having` their lower ends extending` below said pivot-point of the main frame, stepped supporting-pieces carried by said hinge-arms having their steps formed at different inclinations, and a lock for said stepped supportingpiece adapted to engage With them to support the hinge-arms and movable so as to adjust the inclination of the hinge-arms and seat-back by engaging successive steps of said supporting-pieees, and handpperated lever mechanism to operate said bolt.

In testimonjT of Which invention I hereunto set my hand.

HENRY S. HALE.

1Witnesses:

Guo. W. REED, ALPHoNsUs J. DUNN. 

